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by The_Bastard_Writer



Category: Hey Arnold!
Genre: F/M, Sex, The City, Violence, gangster shit, hood shit, mafia, struggle shit, the streets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:42:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28499244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Bastard_Writer/pseuds/The_Bastard_Writer
Summary: Helga is pregnant, the Boarding House is in foreclosure, and Arnold has to do something. Gangsters, drug dealers, and robbers, the Streets of Hillwood are a dangerous place. To survive Arnold must do what he has to for the sake of his young family.
Relationships: Helga Pataki/Arnold Shortman
Kudos: 6





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DISCLAIMER: I DON’T OWN HEY ARNOLD OR ITS CHARACTERS, ALL THIS IS FOR LOVE NOT PROFIT

She whispers his name into his ear.  
“Arnold”

  
Her voice rushed, strained, and slightly gasping for air. It makes him smile to hear her this way.

  
He kisses her and fills her with his soul

  
He lifts himself up so he can look down at her naked form, tinted in blue from the moonlight that shines through the open window. The breeze that flows in ruffles their thin curtains and makes the room as cold as the world.

  
Despite the cold they are sweating, he watches the beads of sweat as they form around the sensual parts of her body. She breathes deeply and looks up at him. Her eyes filled with desperation, she tells him she can’t take much more but he knows she doesn’t want him to stop.

  
He obiliges her, over and over again, not fast or hard. This isn’t a fuck. They are beyond that and they know it.

Tired from the day and from the burdens life has given them, they don’t do this for the finish they do it for the act. The seconds and minutes of bliss that they hope to steal, to take just for themselves.

  
Outside, they have to be people, they have to be responsible, and put up walls to protect themselves. Inside all they have is each other and in security of their small room they find comfort in that.

This wasn’t meant to be but here it is, a place they have been before and deep down inside he hopes they will be again. But if they aren’t, if this is the last time, then he silently promises not to waste it.

  
Completion comes too soon but is always on time. Rolling over and laying next to her, shoulder to shoulder in a bare bed. A bed devoid of the sheets and blankets that once covered it showing itself to be firmly used.

  
He is tempted to light a cigarette but he won’t, he knows she wants one but she can’t have one. So he just breathes letting the cold air enter his lungs, attacking the warmth that once consumed him.

For a moment they were one and he can feel her still, her leg draped over his keeping him with her. Her weight delicately placed over his, symbolically locking him in place hinting at her hidden worries that one day she will turn and find him missing.

  
Turning his head, he sees her face staring back at him, the relief in her eyes that this wasn’t a dream turned nightmare and that he is still there beside her.

  
Reaching over she grabs his hand and pulls it to her body. He lets her, his palm open and fingers spread over her growing belly. Waiting for it with a childlike excitement, his anticipation is answered in a few anxious moments. A kick, a punch, he doesn’t know, but the movement beneath her skin shouts at him, announcing to him the life that is growing inside.

“Helga”  
Her name slips from his lips as he briefly loses his mind, still shocked at the physical feeling of their actions past.

  
“Every we time we, uh, you know, it gets him all riled up”  
She still doesn’t know what to call it, sex, screwing, fucking, she wouldn’t dare call it with its not but is still to scared to call it what it is.

  
It hasn’t been a full year yet and yet everything has changed.

  
Removing his hand and sitting up, Arnold thinks about it for a second.

Many months ago when all of this was new, it was so different. The sex, the fucking, the animalistic action of trying to extract as much feeling as possible from one another. The attempt to reach all new forms of closeness as quickly as possible without a second thought.

He chuckles to himself at the thought.

  
It was fun, but he guesses lust is supposed to be. They didn’t have enough experience to tell the difference, their rushed tumbles were as much exploration and discovery as anything else.

They had not yet earned their bedroom throne and instead were forced to become inventors.  
The couch, the floor, the occasional stolen bed when no one was home, it was a journey finding places to love as much as it was ways.

  
Love, Arnold wonders when it happened, had it always been there lying dormant in wait or was it something they unlocked over time.

  
Looking down at her, still breathing hard, sweat dripping down the sides of her curves, she doesn’t even bother to cover up. It was no mistake the change had come and it had been so long he sometimes fools himself into thinking it had always been so.

  
Leaning back down he plants a kiss on her nose, then grabs a blanket from the floor.  
Placing it on her body he playfully warns her.  
“Your going to catch a cold”

  
Kicking off the blankets with an energy she hadn’t had before they started, she tells him in a rebellious tone.  
“So”

  
“Helga”  
He just says her name, but it tells her he is serious. Her nature is to be reckless and it worries him.

  
Looking back down at her growing belly, his eyes remind her that it's about more than just the two of them.

  
Getting up from the bed, Arnold searches the floor for his lost pants and scattered footwear.  
Pants on with one shoe, he is tempted to turn on the lights. The final shoe is hiding from him.  
Connecting with the side of his head, the shoe reveals itself to have been thrown at him.

  
Even in the darkness of a room only lit by moonlight, he can still see Helga’s annoyed expression.  
“Where are you going”

  
Her voice has lost all of its sweetness and has become bitter, she doesn’t appreciate the disturbance of his exit from their bed. Watching him put on his clothes with his back to her only adds to her insecurities.

  
Without looking back at her, Arnold responds, his voice equally annoyed  
“Work”

  
She wastes no time answering him.  
“No”

  
“Helga”  
Arnold wishes she would stop, that she would just drop it and let him be. Her voice makes this harder than it already is.

  
Sitting up, she lets him have it.  
“Don’t fucking give me that shit, you don’t have fucking work right in the middle of the God Damn night”

  
Now she is angry and he knows he can’t leave her this way.

  
Turning around he returns to the bed and sits beside her. His first attempt to wrap his arm around her shoulder is met with force. Titling her shoulders roughly, she knocks his arm off and whispers,  
“Fuck you”

  
His response is to pull her into a hug slightly lifting her off the bed. He isn’t like her, he can’t be too forceful, using his own body he catches her and turns a rough motion into a gentle one.

  
At first she protests, wiggling and squirming. She tries to break free but he puts head to hers and breathes warm comforting air down her neck, she stops. Returning his hug she speaks again,  
“Can’t you get someone else to do it,”

  
“You know we need the money” he answers her.  
Her arms weaken around him showing her reluctant acceptance of his answer.

  
“Just be home soon”  
That's as close to a goodbye as he knows he is going to get.

Getting up he feels her arms fall down his sides as he leaves her on the bed. Giving her one last kiss to her forehead he turns and opens the door to their room.

The light of the hall sneaks through and illuminates Helga on the bed, but she turns and lays back down with her back to the door. Denying Arnold a chance to see her in the light.

She isn’t happy about this and neither is he.

  
Pulling on his shirt, Arnold takes one last look at her back. He knows on the other side she is awake staring out the window across the room but he pretends she is asleep. He doesn’t know why but it's easier that way.

  
“I’ll be home soon” he says, as much to himself as he does to her.  
Closing the door, he buttons his shirt and makes his way to the street outside.

Arnold is still putting his arms through the sleeves of his jacket when he sees a figure approach him. Standing outside of the boarding house is always dangerous, but never more so than at night.

  
The night’s cold air consumes him, covering his whole body, his hands go to his waist band and he feels the steel of his gun. It’s just as cold as the night, they compliment each other in the worst way.

  
The figure finally comes into view and Arnold begins to pull the gun when the street lamp reveals the figure’s face.

“What the fuck Gerald,”  
Arnold is startled and he tries to hide it.

  
Gerald chuckles and gives his friend a clammy high five.  
“You're way too jumpy for this shit man”

  
“Why are you here”  
Arnold knows the answer to his question but hopes he is wrong.

  
“Oh like Ima let you do this shit without me”

Arnold almost sounds defensive  
“I don’t need your help”

“Coming from the man who almost shot someone walking down the street”  
Gerald’s cheerful mood bothered Arnold, he could never understand how his best friend can be so upbeat about such things.

“I knew it was you,” Arnold responds as he starts walking.

Gerald follows him and continues to poke at his friends' wounded pride.  
“Sure man, whatever you have to tell yourself”

Gerald then presses on,  
“So is it on,”

At first Arnold doesn’t want to answer him, maybe if he stays silent Gerald will take a hint and walk away. Of course, his silence only intrigues his friend further.  
“Oh come on, I know it is, now can you stop being scary and let me help you,”

Breaking his silence, Arnold responds quickly  
“Why”

“Cuz you fuckin need my help”  
Gerald loses his cheery tone and his voice takes on a new seriousness.

He knows Gerald won’t hear him but he still wishes his words will have some effect.  
“Maybe, but you don’t need to do this,”

“I can always use some mo money”  
Gerald’s cheerful tone is back.

“And what would Phoebe say”  
Arnold hopes bringing her up will help his friend come to his senses.

“She don’t fuckin own me,” Yells Gerald as if he is sharing it with the rest of the block.

“Your married Gerald”

  
Responding with a wide grin  
“Not tonight,”

  
Gerald reveals his hand, showing off his bare ring finger, unevenly shaded from where his ring was supposed to be.  
“That isn’t funny”

  
Gerald quickly dismisses him.  
“Yes it is, your just to much of a fuckin saint to get it”

  
The cops appear at the corner, the officers eyeing them both as they cruise by. Their appearance silencing the two friends as they stroll down the street.

Arnold resumes their conversation still trying to make his point.  
“What happened to, I'm gonna do right by her, I aint gonna have no more bastards, she’s going to be an honest women,”

Gerald’s expression changes.  
“I married her didn’t I”

Arnold continues,  
“Exactly, and what would she think of you getting involved in this, you don’t even need the money”

“I don’t, but you do”  
Gerald is right, and Arnold feels his voice stuck in his throat for a second.

“You know you can always come work for me and Jamie O”  
Now Gerald is the one trying to make a point.

“I’m not selling crack with you and your brother” Arnold’s voice showing his annoyance at the question.

“Oh but you will do this bullshit for Big Gino”  
Gerald responds sounding slightly offended.

“It's not for Big Gino, it's just a job”

“Keep telling yourself that, you know how those mafia muthafuckas are, watch, pretty soon you will be opening his door and wiping his ass”  
He hopes he made his point, but Arnold presses on

“I don’t have a fucking choice Gerald, we are going to lose the house,”

“Shit man, I didn’t know,”  
Gerald tries his best to show his understanding.

“No one knows, if Helga finds out she might go back to the life, and I don't want her going back, she's been doing good, real good”  
Gerald recognizes the desperation in his friend’s voice, he then speaks softly,

“And Helga, does she know the shit your doing now”

Arnold gives Gerald an odd look of his own  
“Maybe, I don’t know”

“She’s not stupid Arnold, how long do you think you can keep fooling her, she probably already been knows and just aint sayin shit”

“And maybe she does, but that doesn’t change a thing, I have to pay the bills and I can’t do that selling weed or chopping cars in my backyard like we used to,” Arnold’s voice raises with his frustration.  
He knows his friend is right but he can’t let himself be convinced.

“What if I talk to Jamie O, get some of the boys to chip in, shit we can go across town like the old days, skeleton keys and everything” Smiling again, he hopes to paint a pretty picture for his desperate friend.

Arnold wants to believe him but can’t.

“Sorry Gerald, it has to be this way, I need money, real money,”  
Arnold’s word is final.

“I know man, and that's why I am here to help you,”

He wants to tell Gerald something, but he doesn’t know what. The last thing he wants is for Gerald to get involved, this is risky business and Gerald has a lot to lose.

Arnold remembers hearing Helga scream with joy when Phoebe told her of the scholarship she was awarded. In a few months Gerald will be gone with Phoebe at some big university upstate, and if he can just keep this up a little longer, Helga and him can be gone the same way.

“Ey Arnold is that you”

  
“Yeah that's him, whose he with”

Arnold curses himself, it's too late, Sid and Stinky have already seen them, Gerald is stuck.

“Its me you fuckin dumbasses” Gerald responds.

“Gerald, what in the hell are you doing here”  
Stinky is surprised to see Gerald.

“Yeah, this isn’t your kinda work”  
Sid is equally surprised.

“I hope you don’t think your getting a share,”  
Stinky’s mind is always on the money.

Gerald tries to calm them down.  
“Relax muthafucka, I am just taggin along to see this shit goes well, no share needed”

Gerald eyes Arnold, his face telling him it was never about the money.

“I don’t know, this isn’t your deal Gerald and I don’t think I like the idea of you just showin up and inviting yourself to this lil affair of ours”  
Arnold knew Gerald might make Stinky suspicious.

“Look Stinky, I am coming, now are we going to have a problem or not”  
In his line of work, Gerald deals with suspicion constantly and from way tougher individuals then Stinky.

“Now don’t get angry or nothin, I didn’t say I had a problem, Sid, do you have a problem?”  
Throwing the question of Gerald to Sid, Stinky skillfully takes the pressure off himself, he knows better than to cause problems with a member of Tina Park Blood gang.

Sid, always seeing the opportunity in every situation, speaks diplomatically.  
“I don’t mind, Big Gino and your family have partnered in the other business, I don’t see why we can’t in this, I mean, if it's cool with Arnold then its cool with us”

As soon as Sid finishes his sentence, the eyes all turn to Arnold. He wants to say no but can’t, if he does he will embarrass Gerald, and that would be a slight against the Johansons. All Arnold could do is nod his head.

Quickly Stinky fills Gerald in,  
“Aright, so Harold, tells us that old man Green is counting his cash tonight before he has it deposited into one of his accounts, the door should be left open for us, so all we gotta do is go in there tell him what's what and get the money”

Stinky sounds very sure of himself, this disturbs Arnold, it only gets worse when Sid speaks.  
“Yeah, Harold says there's going to be something like 60 thousand in small bills, so it's a nice and even split of a 10 each, after we give Harold his cut and kick up what we have to Big Gino”

“Hold the fuck up, your telling me yall are robbing Mr. Green” Gerald tries to hide shock.

“Of course, that old Jew has it coming, why do you have a problem” Sid questions, his eyes narrowing as he stares at Gearld.

Gearld’s jaw almost drops as everything all becomes clear to him. Big Gino is making a move on his rival, that explains why Sid is here. He has no idea how they got Harold to betray his boss but it explains why a move like this is even possible.

  
Turning to Arnold, Gerald’s expression conveyed his realization.

Until now an uneasy truce had kept the streets of Hillwood somewhat peaceful. The Italians, the Jews, and the Blacks all stayed out of each other's way in the interest of business, as a Tina Park blood, Gerald knew this more than anyone there. Sid, the ballsy little bastard that he is, represents the Big Gino crime syndicate, and now that Gerald is here, tonight could be the start of another war.

No wonder Arnold had tried so hard to get him to stay out of it.

  
“Na man, fuck him,” using an aggressive tone, Gerald does his best to dismiss any of Sid or Stinky’s suspicions.

An alarm goes off ending the conversation. Everyone turns to face Stinky whose phone is ringing.

“Aright, enough of all this talking, that's the signal, its time,”  
Stinky then puts his phone back in his pocket and takes out a shotgun from his pant leg.

Sid pulls a revolver from his jacket and spins the cylinder letting everyone see that its loaded. Arnold reaches for his beretta and Gearld pulls out a shiny nickel plated 45.

  
“Jesus Gerald you trying to show off or something” Stinky says looking at his own reflection on the side of the gun.

“Fuck you, it does what it has to” Gerald spits back in an irritated voice.

“Enough, let's just get this over with,”  
Arnold hates having to take the lead, but Sid and Stinky are idiots, and this is way over Gerald’s head.

Mr. Green’s meat shop is dark when they enter, despite trying to act as hard as possible all four are slightly nervous. Forgetting the bell at the top of the front entrance, it rings alarming everyone. They quickly rush in, not wanting to be caught all huddled together at the doorway. For a second they hope that it will go unnoticed but then the lights turn on.

  
Pork Pie is standing at the corner of the room, having just come from the back. Stinky takes aim with his shotgun but Arnold can’t let him shoot, if he does the whole neighborhood would know something is going down.

Practically running forward, Arnold grabs Pork Pie and puts his gun to his head. His movement is so hard he knocks off Pork Pie’s signature hat in the process.  
“You better fucking act right” Arnold says into Pork Pie’s ear.

  
He then pushes Pork Pie through the corner door. Together they move down a hallway towards the backroom, Sid, Stinky, and Gerald behind them.

They pause at the closed door to the backroom, Arnold takes a second to look back at Gerald, silently asking if he is ready.  
Gerald nods as Stinky and Sid stare at Arnold impatiently.

  
Stinky moves ahead of Arnold and places his hand on the door knob.

  
In almost one motion, Stinky opens the door and Arnold pushes Pork Pie through, still standing behind him with a gun to his head. The room is pitch black as Sid, Stinky, and Gerald rush in following Arnold.

  
Suddenly the lights flicker on and a gunshot breaks the silence.

  
In an instant, Gerald’s head nearly explodes as a large bullet enters the corner of his forehead and blows out the back off his skull.

  
Arnold looks back in time to see Gerald’s shocked last expression with fresh blood flowing down his face, he falls to his knees for a moment before falling forward face down on the floor.

  
“Now you boys fucked up”  
The voice is coming from Mr. Green, sitting at a table facing the doorway. To his left sitting next to him is his associate Slick with a gun pointed and to his right standing is Harold whose gun was slightly angled from the recoil of the shot it fired.

  
Sid starts yelling but Arnold can’t hear it, his eyes focused on his best friend's body now laying face down in front of him.

He watches the endless flow of blood start to wrap around the head like a crown. When his eyes move the last glimpse of Gerald he catches is the broken hole where the back of his head used to be.

  
Arnold snaps, he fires a shot into Pork Pie, the bullet entering under his ear and exiting the side of his head.

  
There is more yelling on both sides but Arnold still can’t hear it.

The yelling is followed up by shooting as Slick and Harold open fire on them. Holding Pork Pie’s body up, Arnold feels the bullets enter it and for the moment, not caring if one of them penetrates and hits him.

  
He watches Slick fall backwards hitting the floor hard with what must have been a shotgun blast from Stinky. Arnold isn’t sure, he still hasn’t stopped to see what was happening behind him. He raises his pistol and unloads into Harold’s belly.

  
Harold, Mr. Green’s most feared soldier is still shooting even as Arnold puts rounds in him. A shotgun slides across the floor as another body falls telling Arnold who Harold was shooting at. Mr. Green raises a machine pistol that must have been sitting on his lap and squeezes the trigger yelling something that Arnold still can’t hear. Spraying what's left of the group, he feels Pork Pie’s now bullet ridden body shake as it takes in even more bullets.

  
A shove from behind causes Arnold to finally drop Pork Pie’s body. The shove came from Sid who had taken several of Mr. Green’s shots and in his last moments attempted to run forward at Mr. Green knife in hand. Sid’s body, not quite making it, falls landing face first on Mr. Green’s table in front of him.

  
Arnold watches as Mr. Green frantically tries to reload his gun but never gets the chance. Using the last rounds in his gun, Arnold shoots Mr. Green in the neck, and as Mr. Green drops his weapon to cover his now spurting neck, Arnold finishes him with a shot to the forehead knocking off his now red soaked butcher's hat.

  
The smoke from all the shooting invades Arnold’s lungs and he begins to cough. His coughs slowly bring him back to reality. Looking around he sees the carnage of the last minute.

  
Mr. Green’s body, fallen over the table now laying side by side with Sid’s, whose knife is stuck in his death grip. Slick's body was out of sight, but still in his chair from when he fell, Arnold could only see the dirty soles of his shoes. Harold had stumbled backwards from the shots, his body left propped up by the wall behind him, eyes open and lifeless. On the floor by his feet was Stinky, his arms open with one of his hands nearly touching Arnold’s foot. He didn’t want to look at Gearld’s body, not again. It didn’t really matter anyway, everytime he closed his eyes he could still see it just like he could still hear Gearld’s voice in his ears.

Walking out of the butcher shop, Arnold could hear the sirens. He decided to go to the place he truly wanted to be, home.

  
Thankfully, the house wasn’t more than a couple of blocks from the shop but his legs felt heavy and every step made him feel weaker.

  
Hit with another round of coughs, Arnold tried to cover his mouth only to look and see his hand covered in blood. Looking down he saw his footsteps leaving a bloody trail back to the butcher shop. Feeling more blood trickle down from his stomach and down his legs, he didn’t want to look anymore, he already knew.

His mind became focused on one thing, he had to get home, if it was the last thing he did he had to get back. That was what she wanted from him.

Arnold felt his walk change and he started to trip over himself. Using street lights, parking meters, and the sides of buildings, to balance himself, he made his way back.

Hearing the sirens behind him, it was a race, he had to get there before they got to him.

Finally he caught sight of it, home, he was almost there. Using whatever energy he could, he ran.  
The feet between him and his home soon passed by quickly before his eyes as he slunk his head down looking at his red stained shoes as they made their way. Arnold watched his legs give out and his shoes twist and for a moment he was airborne.

Crashing into the stairs of his front porch, he looked up at the door in front him, standing above him like a mountain. Crawling, he heard the sirens getting closer behind him, their lights reflecting off the surface of the door and windows of the boarding house.

  
At last, his body reached the top step and he raised his fist to knock, but when it struck the door no sound came. Arnold was too weak, he used up whatever he had making it home. As hard as he tried he couldn’t summon any more strength to his arm and the hand connected to it.

  
He was about to break down and cry when it happened. The door opened and the light from inside hit his face tinting it in gold.

  
“Arnold what the fuck” Helga screamed with tears in her eyes.

  
He gave her a bloody smile and breathing a sigh of relief.

  
There she was, home.

**Author's Note:**

> THANKS FOR READING, MUCH LOVE, HOPE Y'ALL ENJOYED, COMMENTS/QUESTIONS ARE ALL APPRECIATED  
> Follow on IG @The_Bastard_Writer 4 Updates and New Stories


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